


Five Stages of Grief

by igrockspock



Category: Veronica Mars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, breaking up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-18
Updated: 2014-03-18
Packaged: 2018-01-16 04:11:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1331443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/igrockspock/pseuds/igrockspock
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to be in love with someone who is in love with someone else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Stages of Grief

You will know what's happening and not know it at the same time. You'll hear her answer the phone for Logan, watch her get on the plane. When you fly to the reunion -- just for her -- she'll be missing, and you'll know exactly where she is. You'll get punched in the nuts for her, because that's what a man does for his girl, right? And when she calls you a cab, kisses you on the cheek, and sends you back to the airport alone, you know what's happening. Still, you believe. That's denial.

You tell yourself that you hate her. You call her everything that everyone else has called her -- selfish, manipulative, a bitch. Maybe you should post something damning on facebook or twitter. That's what she does, right? Expose people, ruin their lives. But the words don't stick, even in your own mind. You won't ever say them out loud. She's not a bad person; she's just a woman madly in love with someone who isn't you. You never were very good at anger.

Bargaining, on the other hand, is your special skill. It's what nice guys do, right? If she called you, if she said she was sorry... You wouldn't cave, not right then. You would want a grand gesture. Flowers, fancy dinner, light the candles, wear the sexy black panties, maybe buy a ring. If she did all that, you could forgive a lot. But your phone doesn't ring, not even once. She sends a friend to pick up her things.

You drunk text her. You don't mean to, of course. But you do. Twice. Maybe threee times. Maybe it's better not to count. Precision was always her thing anyway. It's better not to dwell on what you do during the depression phase.

She does seek you out later. Two years later, to be precise. You don't ask if she's happy with Logan because you know she doesn't _want_ to be happy with Logan. She wants to be something else. Something wild, something passionate, something opposite to you. When she opens her mouth to apologize, you say, "Actually, I have somewhere I need to be." Her eyes fall; she looks contrite. It's the segway to another apology, and you hold up your hand. "Don't say anything, Veronica. You are who you are. I knew that from the beginning. But this apology isn't to make me feel better. It's to make you feel less guilty." 

And then you leave. You are good at one thing that Veronica is not: you can walk away and never look back.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Five Stages of Grief (The Never Mind The Albatross Remix)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4248504) by [Ghostcat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ghostcat/pseuds/Ghostcat)




End file.
